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The decision-making to outsource and select the most suitable global manufacturing outsourcing partner (MOP) is complex and uncertain due to multiple conflicting qualitative and quantitative criteria as well as multiple alternatives. Vagueness and variability exist in ratings of criteria and alternatives by group of decision-makers (DMs). The paper provides a novel Stochastic Fuzzy (SF) method for evaluation and selection of agile and sustainable global MOP in uncertain and volatile business environment.

Four main selection criteria for global MOP selection were identified such as economic, agile, environmental and social criteria. Total 16 sub-criteria were selected. To consider the vagueness and variability in ratings by group of DMs, SF method using t-distribution or z-distribution was adopted. The criteria weights were determined using the Stochastic Fuzzy-CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (SF-CRITIC), while MOP selection was carried out using Stochastic Fuzzy-VIseKriterijumskaOptimizacija I KompromisnoResenje (SF-VIKOR) in the case study of footwear industry. Sensitivity analysis was performed to test the robustness of the proposed model. A comparative analysis of SF-VIKOR and VIKOR was made.

The worker’s wages and welfare, product price, product quality, green manufacturing process and collaboration with partners are the most important criteria for MOP selection. The MOP3 was found to be the best agile and sustainable global MOP for the footwear company. In sensitivity analysis, significance level is found to have important role in MOP ranking. Hence, the study concluded that integrated SF-CRITIC and SF-VIKOR is an improved method for MOP selection problem.

In a group decision-making, ambiguity, impreciseness and variability are found in relative ratings. Fuzzy variant Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods cover impreciseness in ratings but not the variability. On the other hand, deterministic models do not cover either. Hence, the stochastic method based on the probability theory combining fuzzy theory is proposed to deal with decision-making problems in imprecise and uncertain environments. Most notably, the proposed model has novelty as it captures and reveals both the stochastic perspective and the fuzziness perspective in rating by group of DMs.

The proposed multi-criteria group decision-making model contributes to the sustainable and agile footwear supply chain management and will help the policymakers in selecting the best global MOP.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, SF method has not been used to select MOP in the existing literature. For the first time, integrated SF-CRITIC and SF-VIKOR method were applied to select the best agile and sustainable MOP under uncertainty. Unlike other studies, this study considered agile criteria along with triple bottom line sustainable criteria for MOP selection. The novel method of SF assessment contributes to the literature and put forward the managerial implication for improving agility and sustainability of global manufacturing outsourcing in footwear industry.

This exploratory research paper aims to examine the social interactions within multi-owned properties (MOPs) in suburban Brisbane, Australia, and the influences these have on “sense of community” (SOC).

A constructivist grounded theory research approach is adopted, utilising qualitative research methods of 17 in-depth interviews across four suburbs.

Respondents of this research do know others within their MOP, although these are surface-level social interactions rather than deep social ties. Social interactions are influenced by concerns for privacy, resident homogeneity, tenure type and the safety and security of the built environment. A disconnect exists between marketing and reality when respondents discuss an SOC. Development of an SOC is also constrained by the strata and community title legislation that enables MOPs ' existence. Self-governance measures exclude the majority of MOP residents from engaging in community participation, through bodies ' corporate and decision-making practices.

The research design limited external validity to other groups and settings. It was also challenging accessing residents and MOP owners for inclusion in this research.

The research is significant in addressing the knowledge gap of social relations within MOPs. MOPs will be a key driver for the development industry in coming decades, so it is important to understand the lived experience of residents to ensure a liveable and sustainable residential product for the future.

The purpose of this paper is to expand knowledge about how middle class consumers in Sub-Saharan African markets behave, focusing on the potential role of social networks and the subsequent interactions that take place between these consumers and firms.

A qualitative research method approach comprising personal interviews and observations targeted at consumers and business executives was used covering all four countries.

Key findings include identification of middle of the pyramid (MOP) social networks, their impact on consumer behaviour and nature of consumer and firm interactions that take place as a result of the impact of social networks.

The sample size was restricted to 80 consumers in each of the four countries. This might limit generalisability.

The study provides managers with insights on the potential role of social networks on marketing to the MOP in Africa.

The study provides managers with insights on the potential opportunities for corporate social responsibility solutions at the MOP.

Research into the middle class in markets other than western advanced economies is a relatively new area of study. The majority of studies on the middle class have focused on North America and Europe ignoring the merging middle class in Africa. Hence, this research expands knowledge by providing basis for exploring new insights on the emerging marketing opportunity within the middle class in Africa.

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence the growing African middle class (middle of pyramid; MOP) consumers' purchase decision making.

A mixed qualitative research method approach comprising in-depth interviews was used to collect data from middle of pyramid consumers in four countries. Secondary data analysis was used to complement the interviews.

Key findings include the identification of three key intertwined influencers of branding, peer and social networks and aesthetics and product performance. Other influencers include technology and new products, distribution channels and family.

The focus on four countries has the potential to minimize the generalizability of findings from the study although the four countries used have a significant amount of middle class consumers in Africa. However, this does not detract from the findings of the study but actually provides a basis for further research into other emerging markets.

Findings from the study provide practical insights for marketing managers who intend to serve this market, key of which are branding, use of social networks, online distribution and maximising technology.

The paper expands the research agenda of the relatively new area of the MOP. By focusing on the MOP in Africa, the research expands existing knowledge beyond previous areas of focus of middle class studies that focus on China and India.

This paper aims to advance best practice by gaining insights into key multi-owned property (MOP) issues challenging policymakers and communities. Ontario (Canada) and Victoria (Australia) are internationally recognised for best practice in MOP living and law. Yet, both jurisdictions struggle with the emerging urbanism related to condominium MOP.

Different ways of recognising community in MOP urbanism will be examined against public policy and political theory perspectives promoting social sustainability. A rich mixed-data and content analysis method is relied upon which synthesises three pillars of MOP community governance: harmonious high-rise living; residential-neighbourhood interface; and metropolitan community engagement. The article cross-examines Canadian policy and law reform documents and Australian dispute case law from the state of Victoria to explore and showcase critical MOP management, residential and policy issues.

A theory-building typology formally recognises “community” as an affective performance across MOP governance contexts: cosmopolitan, civic-citizen and neighbourly. These ideal types differentiate community affects in and beyond (case) law and land-use planning: from determining alternative dispute resolution remedies; addressing neighbourhood and metropolitan NIMBY-ism in urban consolidation to bridging the critical policy and civic gap between the limits and aims of socially sustainable MOP vertical-tenured community affects.

Strong cross-jurisdictional MOP community lessons exist, as other cities follow best practice in legal and governance structures to effect change at the frontiers of twenty-first century urbanism.

Past studies emphasise classifying dispute issues, single-issue concerns or historical and life cycle evaluations. This theory-building article advances why and how community must be better understood holistically across community contexts to inform cutting-edge governance practices.

The purpose of this paper is to present empirical evidence on how and why a poor rural community is engaged in certain calculative practices, and how these are embedded in a “total institution” defined in terms of “relations of production” and “relations in production”.

Focusing on the traditional fishing industry in the Sri Lankan village of Kalamatiya, this study employs a qualitative, ethnographic methodology to collect and analyse data.

The underlying calculative practices are shown to resemble an articulated mode of production fabricated with some heterogeneous complexities, especially patronage relations, village cultures, and local capital and political power, rather than mere economic rationalities.

The paper argues that the notions of the “total institution” and the “articulated MOP” can inform accounting researchers to conceptualise research sites beyond the organisation as a novel “field” for empirical studies.

The purpose of this study is to develop a governance typology which identifies governance issues and outcomes. Multi-owned properties (MOPs) are a unique property type due to the incorporation of a private governance association. Although there are jurisdictional differences, these associations are generally responsible for the management, maintenance and control of the commonly owned property; determining the contributions payable by each lot owner to the operation of the association; enforcing the rules of the association; and ensuring that records meet legislative requirements. Legislation for MOP schemes was enacted in different jurisdictions to guide the governance and management of these matters. However, challenges relating to the governance of MOPs have continued to be a problem as identified in the literature and practice.

The study first reviewed the legislation in three Australian states to identify specific governance categories and the legislative requirements related to those categories. To gain group opinion about the specific governance issues and outcomes, the Delphi method was utilised whereby industry experts participated in a two-round survey questionnaire.

A typology was developed as a result of consensus found between participants. The findings identified key governance issues and outcomes for MOPs.

The governance typology forms the basis for the development of a more comprehensive audit tool for the assessment of governance quality in individual schemes.

This paper is the first of its kind to collate issues impacting upon effective owners’ corporation governance and the potential outcomes associated with poor governance practices in MOPs.

The purpose of this paper is to propose that the three‐dimensional information of obstacles should be identified to allow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to detect and avoid obstacles existing in their flight path.

First, the approximate outline of obstacles was detected using multi‐scale‐oriented patches (MOPS). At the same time, the spatial coordinates of feature points that exist in the internal outline of the obstacles were calculated through the scale‐invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm. Finally, the results from MOPS and the results from the SIFT algorithm were merged to show the three‐dimensional information of the obstacles.

As the method proposed in this paper reconstructs only the approximate outline of obstacles, a quick calculation can be done. Moreover, as the outline information is combined through SIFT feature points, detailed three‐dimensional information pertaining to the obstacles can be obtained.

The proposed approach can be used efficiently in GPS‐denied environments such as certain indoor environments.

For the autonomous flight of small UAVs having a payload limit, this paper suggests a means of forming three‐dimensional information about obstacles with images obtained from a monocular camera.

Property development, the built environment and privatisation.

Undergraduate and MA level property development courses, modules covering privatisation within undergraduate, MBA and MA level management programmes.

Property development is complex and diverse. It involves many agents with diverse roles, strategies and actions that affect the return. In a way, privatisation reduces government's financial burdens and offers ease of procedures to agents. This case study investigates privatisation of property development projects by a local authority in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In particular, the study focuses on modes of privatisation (MOP) and the extent to which it affects the return of the projects. The MOP studied are the land swap, land lease and the joint venture development on 15 selected privatisation projects.

Students are expected to be able to understand the MOP for land development projects using Malaysia as an example; evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these MOP; assess the benefits and impacts to the local Malaysian authority, landowners and land developers of MOP; and apply suitable MOP to alternative development projects.

Teaching note.

The purpose of this paper is to present a new plan approach for optimal allocation water resources in social‐economic‐environmental complex system in order to achieve human and nature coordinated development.

By integrating the system dynamics (SD) and multi‐objective programming (MOP), the new approach which is termed SD‐MOP model is proposed. The model is characterized by fully reflecting the initial trends of the system development, accurately explaining both of the structure and function of the system, objectively finding the sensible points of the system, and achieving the optimum solutions of the model, the according the solutions the optimal plan can be designed according practical situation.

By applying SD‐MOP integrated model, the designed planning proposal can be guaranteed operable, available, and optimal level.

SD‐MOP integrated model is a very useful support tool in optimal decision making.

The new planning approach of SD‐MOP integrated model can be used in regional resources planning, especially in formulating sustainable development strategies. In addition, the model can be used to estimate the trends of the system development when the planning program has been implemented.